Rosewood is a hardwood whose attractive colour has made it popular for furniture, panelling, veneers, and in the making of musical instruments.
Linggoa, Sena, Amboyna, Angsana, Narra, Padauk
Pterocarpus indicus
Rosewood is a hardwood native to South-East Asia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Sabah, Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia. Some trees of the species grow very highly figured burrs, which are given the name 'Ambonya wood' from the Indonesian island of Ambon, and in veneer form are used in the making of furniture. Other uses of the wood include turnery, paneling, guitar-making, and knife handles.
The heartwood of rosewood can be either golden brown or a dark blood-red, while the sapwood is pale yellow and up to 60mm wide. The wood is of medium texture and the grain is variable. Freshly cut, the wood has a fragrant odour and is often highly figured: burrs are highly prized in furniture-making.
The timber is susceptible to lyctid borer, but is termite resistant. In its sawn form it is easily worked with hand and machine tools. The heartwood is hard to stain, but polishes to a lustrous finish. Rosewood is imported in small quantities.
Shrinkage
| Very Low | Low | Medium | High | Very High | |
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Tangential :
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2.00% | ||||
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Radial :
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1.00% | ||||
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Unit Movement Tangential:
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0.32% | ||||
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Unit Movement Radial:
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0.19% |
Strength Group
| Very High | High | Reasonably High | Medium High | Medium | Reasonably Low | Low | Very Low | |
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| Unseasoned: | S1 | S2 | S3 | S4 | S5 | S6 | S7 | S8 |
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| Seasoned: | SD1 | SD2 | SD3 | SD4 | SD5 | SD6 | SD7 | SD8 |
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Stress Grade
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Structural No. 1 |
Structural No. 2 |
Structural No. 3 |
Structural No. 4 |
Structural No. 5 |
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| Unseasoned: | F14 | F11 | F8 | F7 | F5 |
| Seasoned: | F17 | F14 | F11 | F8 | F7 |
Density per Standard
| Seasoned: | 593kg/m3 |
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| Unseasoned: | kg/m3 |
Joint Group
| Very High | High | Reasonably High | Medium | Low | Very Low | |
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| Unseasoned: | J1 | J2 | J3 | J4 | J5 | J6 |
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| Seasoned: | JD1 | JD2 | JD3 | JD4 | JD5 | JD6 |
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Colour
| White, yellow, pale straw to light brown | Pink to pink brown | Light to dark red | Brown, chocolate, mottled or streaky | |
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Mechanical Properties
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Modulus of Rupture - Unseasoned:
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73 |
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Modulus of Rupture - Seasoned:
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92 |
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Modulus of Elasticity - Unseasoned:
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10 |
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Modulus of Elasticity - Seasoned:
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12 |
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Maximum Crushing Strength - Unseasoned:
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37 |
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Maximum Crushing Strength - Seasoned:
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59 |
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Impact - Unseasoned:
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Impact - Seasoned:
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Toughness - Unseasoned:
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Medium - 15 - 24 Nm |
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Toughness - Seasoned:
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Low - up to 15 Nm |
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Hardness - Unseasoned:
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4.3 |
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Hardness - Seasoned:
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4.3 |
Durability
| Low | Moderate | Reasonably High | High | |
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| (0 - 5 yrs) | (5 - 15 yrs) | (15 - 25 yrs) | (more than 25 yrs) | |
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In-Ground:
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| (0 - 7 yrs) | (7 - 15 yrs) | (15 - 40 yrs) | (More than 40 yrs) | |
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Above ground:
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| (0 - 20 yrs, usually < 5) | (21 - 40 yrs) | (41 - 64 yrs) | (More than 60 yrs) | |
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Marine Borer Resistance:
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Lyctid Borer Susceptibility:
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Susceptible |
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| Lyctid Borer Susceptibility - Other: | |
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Termite Resistance:
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Resistant |
Fire Properties
| 1 - non-combustible | 2 - reasonably non-combustible | 3 - slightly combustible | 4 - combustible | |
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Fire Properties Group Number: |
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Average Specific Extinction Area:
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<250 |
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Bushfire Resistance:
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BAL 12.5 and 19 – Door and window joinery only |
The sapwood of rosewood is up to 60mm wide and of a pale yellow colour, while the heartwood can be either golden brown or a dark blood-red. The grain is variable and the texture is medium. The burrs, which gets its name 'Amboyna wood' from the Indonesian island of Ambon, are highly prized in furniture-making.
The attractive appearance of rosewood has made it highly prized for furniture, veneer, turnery, and paneling. It is also used for knife handles and guitar-making. Some trees produce very highly figured burrs, which are used in the European furniture trade under the name 'Ambonya wood'.
Asia
